


Out in the Garden

by thatnerdemryn



Series: Em's Femslash February 2020 [9]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Victorian, Feelings Realization, Femslash February, First Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:28:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22672552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemryn/pseuds/thatnerdemryn
Summary: When Lydia looked at Alexander, she didn’t want to kiss him. Yes, she knew he was aesthetically pleasing to look at. Anyone with eyes could see that his eyes were dreamy and his smile lit up any room he walked into, but her eyes had never lingered like they did with Clary.
Relationships: Lydia Branwell/Clary Fray
Series: Em's Femslash February 2020 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1621414
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21
Collections: Shadowhunters 2020 Femslash February





	Out in the Garden

A walk in the garden was exactly what Lydia needed after that awful interaction with her betrothed. She tried with Alexander, she really tried. She let him wander from her bed to dalliance with the dress artisan his mother had hired for the women of the mansion. She let his gazes roam, as well as his heart, with nothing and no one to keep her own occupied. She huffed as she sat down on the stone bench in front of her, kicking the pebbles that lined the path. The purple chrysanthemums wafted in her direction and she felt her shoulders droop, the stress of the day slowly rolling off of her. 

It was hard for her to stroll around the mansion knowing that her husband-to-be was uninterested in their engagement. She always knew her family name was more of an importance than love, but she never thought it would be like this. Alexander was a beautiful man who she could see growing old with and raising a family with, but she knew he would never feel the same. Lydia sighed to herself and rested her chin in her hand. 

“Lady Branwell, are you alright?” She heard a petite voice chime. She glanced up and straightened her posture, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress. 

“Miss Fray,” Lydia breathed out as she caught sight of the new presence. She stopped thinking of Alexander the minute her eyes caught sight of Clary. How could she think about Alexander when Clary was in her view? Clary giggled and shook her head as she skipped over to Lydia. 

“We’re in the garden, away from prying ears. Please, call me Clary,” she said cheerily before a sudden panic overtook her face. “I mean, unless you don’t want to. You’re the lady of the house in a few weeks so obviously you can call me whatever you want,” Clary rambled. Lydia just wanted to call her adorable. 

“Then you mustn't keep calling me lady. Out here, it’s just… Lydia,” she requested. Clary nodded and gestured to the seat beside her. Lydia nodded back at her as Clary sat down, not bothering to smooth her dress out like so many others would. Lydia smiled warmly at her. Clary was someone unexpected. The Lightwood’s had taken her in when she was only a child and from what Lydia had gathered, everyone was fiercely protective of her. She was sweet and naive and… breathtaking. Lydia couldn’t keep her eyes from inspecting Clary. From the bright red hair that was always hanging well past her shoulders to her forest green eyes that reminded Lydia of the very garden they were sitting in. She let her eyes linger on the plump lips that were always so enticing. 

Lydia had never kissed anyone out of sheer disinterest. When she had met Alexander, she assumed it would be the time to change that. She was to be married in less than a fortnight and her lips had yet to feel the soft glide of another’s. She had known that consummating was for the wedding night but she really hoped to at least kiss the man before spending the rest of her life with him. She thought that if they kissed, she would finally feel whole. Maybe even like it. 

When she looked at Alexander, she didn’t want to kiss him. Yes, she knew he was aesthetically pleasing to look at. Anyone with eyes could see that his eyes were dreamy and his smile lit up any room he walked into, but her eyes had never lingered like they did with Clary. 

Because Clary was marvelous in every way that Lydia wasn’t. She didn’t care what others thought about her, of her status or her looks. Half the time, she walked around with charcoal dusting her cheeks and leftover paint underneath her fingernails. She had no money or stature of her own, but held herself with the confidence of a lady. She spoke too much and too loudly or not at all and never at the appropriate times. Lydia envied her. 

As Lydia watched her, her fingers twiddling in her lap and her teeth nipping at the lips Lydia couldn’t bear to look away from, she felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her. Every part of her body wanted to surge forward and push Clary into the bushes behind them, but she had waited for a moment like that for entirely too long to ruin it. She reached her delicate hand up and pushed a fallen strand of Clary’s hair off of her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. 

“Thank you,” Clary said softly. Lydia nodded and let a small giggle bubble past her lips when she glanced down at Clary’s face. She ran her thumb over the small speck of black that rested high on her cheekbone. She let the rest of her fingers rest against Clary’s jaw as her thumb brushed across her lips. 

“I dreamed about lips like yours,” Lydia thought out loud. She heard Clary’s intake of breath and her eyes darted upwards. When Lydia saw no hesitation or fear in Clary’s eyes, she inhaled slowly. She could smell the flowers surrounding them but nothing beat the scent of Clary. It overwhelmed Lydia and had her mind spinning in the greatest of ways. It was just enough to have her confidence soaring as she placed her lips on Clary’s. 

Lydia had witnessed a kiss or two in her lifetime. She had seen couples seal their marriages in a kiss and bid goodbye with a kiss, she had even seen her parents kiss each other goodnight when she was a child. But to feel a kiss was considerably different. And so considerably  _ better _ . 

The first thing Lydia noted were how soft Clary’s lips were on hers. They seemed to move like silk against her own, the brush of her tongue causing a chill to creep down Lydia’s spine. Clary tasted like the freshest of strawberries picked directly from the patch and Lydia found herself craving more with every passing moment. The hand on Clary’s jaw wandered back to her hair, her fingers filtering through it until she had a solid grip on the back of Clary’s head. She squeezed her fingers tight and pulled Clary closer to her. She needed to feel Clary against her. 

Clary’s small gasps and pants were something Lydia had never expected, but wanted to hear more of. She let her unoccupied hand run down Clary’s neck and over her breasts that were pushed up by her too tight corset. Lydia had never hated the layers of clothing women were mandated to wear until that moment. Her hand glided down to Clary’s waist and looped around to her back. She wanted to pull Clary closed but from their sitting positions, she couldn’t. She let out a frustrated huff and pulled away from the kiss when a breathless giggle seeped through Clary’s lips. 

“You’re cute when you’re angry,” Clary commented as she tilted her head. Lydia watched closely as Clary bit down on her lip and felt her heartbeat skip at their wetness. It was her mouth on Clary’s that caused it and it was just too much. Lydia stood up quickly and took a few steps toward the mansion. When she realized Clary wasn’t following her, she stomped back and raised her eyebrows at the confused expression on Clary’s face. 

“My bed has been quite cold and I could use a little company. If you’re int--” She was cut off when Clary shot up from her seat and started running toward the mansion, her hand pulling Lydia along and a bright burst of laughter breaking through the silence. Lydia grinned after her, realizing in surprise that she would follow Clary wherever she wanted to take her. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ooft, this was unexpected and I got all fluttery reading it so I hope you do, too!
> 
> Feel free to shout at me on [Tumblr](https://archeryandeyeliner.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thatnerdemilyj).
> 
> Please leave kudos if you like it and comment to make me smile.


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